Afterlight
by twilight.saga.lives
Summary: It's been 10 years since the events of Breaking Dawn. The Cullen's are living blissfully in Forks Washington. When Charlotte Snow and her parents move into town, Charlotte happens to be in the wrong place at the right time. Adventures and dangers unfold on a human girl who becomes part of a vampire family, and an enemy of the past comes back to light.
1. Chapter 1

Re-examine all that you have been told

dismiss all that insults your soul. . .

Walt Whitman

* * *

_"Bella love?" My husbands words burst from his lips. I opened my eyes to look into his. "We have to go now."_

_"No!" I fought. "I want to stay here with you longer." I pulled him back into me and crushed my lips to his. We were in our meadow. The flowers in their full bloom. Bursting with colour, the sun was shining down upon us. Our skin sparkling in its light. Edward pushed me off again._

_"We have forever to come back here, and be ourselves. But Renesmee and Jacob will be packed. We have to get to the airport." Oh yeah. I had forgotten. After our encounter with The Volturi and the guard, Edward and I promised Renesmee a trip to Europe. It had been planned a few days before the encounter, in a way to calm her. To give her something else to focus on and be excited about. _

_"Right." I said. I kissed him once more, in the way that was inviting for something else. But before he could get too carried away, I stood up and looked down on him. I reached out my hand. "Come on." I said. "We have to go don't we?" I smiled._

_"You Mrs Cullen are a tease." He took my hand in his and i assisted him to his feet. He wrapped his arm around me and we strode through the meadow towards the thrush of the trees. I turned to take one last look. We would be gone for a while. Maybe a couple of months. But we would be back to forever, and a happy peaceful existence. Something we had prayed for, for far too long._

* * *

**10 years later**

* * *

Chapter 1 - Leaving

My room was so. . . small. Quiet. Empty now. All that remained was the paper shade that the new owner had her eye on when she came to the viewing. She couldn't stop complimenting its credibility and charm. How fitting it would be for her daughters room should they decide to buy the house.

I'd had the lampshade on the ceiling since I was 8 and decided it was best we part ways now. It was white when we got it, shaped like a cloud. Now it was kinda cream coloured and old. I took one last look at the orange room, closed my eyes and let all the growing up that took place in here go. I flipped the switch for the last time, shutting the door behind me on my way out.

"Charlotte! Come on let's go! Get your bags in the car please." My Mom called from the porch. I was already running down the stairs with only my cell in hand. I skipped out the front door past Mom and picked up my travel bag. "You don't wanna say goodbye?"

"Already did!" I shouted without turning around. I could tell she would be laughing quietly at me. I threw my bag beside me in the car, backseat of course, and shut the door behind me. I was ready to go. Ready to leave Napa and head on up to our new home. Rainy and cloudy Forks, Washington. Dad was walking from around the backyard with the keys to the car in his hand.

"Back doors locked. We just have to drop the keys off to the Realtors office and then we hit the road. All 13 hours of it."

"15!" I shouted from the car.

"We are NOT taking any pit stops!" He responded. He walked up to the car and looked in the open window to me.

"Have you MET Mom?" He sighed and then winked at me. Knowing his wife better than I could ever, he knew that she was a scenic driver. Liked to stretch her legs and get out of the moving vehicle.

"Charlotte. Come here!" Mom urged.

"Mom no. I don't DO long goodbyes."

"No, get out of that car now so I can take a picture of you in-front of the house." Urgh. I put my phone in my pocket and climbed out of the car. Dad patted my back as if to say 'Sorry kid.' I walked up to my mother who was ready with her phone to take a photograph. "Mom you're just gonna cry." I said.

"No…I won't." Noticeable tears already trickling down her red cheeks "Stand in-front of the house Charlotte. And smile, fix your hair. Don't put your hand in your pocket." I did as I was told and the photo was taken. I walked up to her.

"Feel better?" I asked,

"No!" Now she was weeping. She pulled me in for a long hug and I just let her. The thing you have to understand is, Mom and Dad have lived in this house since they were in their early twenties. It was the first thing they ever owned together that made them feel officially adult. They were married here, they even had the wedding in the backyard. They both had good jobs, they got pregnant with me, extended the house so there would be more room for us and a dog (which we never got), and that was it. My whole life up until now was in this house. First steps, first word, chicken pox, tantrums, kindergarten all the way up to high-school. So I guess you could say I saw the emotional pull it had on my Mom and Dad, but to me, it was just a house. One I had long outgrown and was looking to break away from. The only thing I would miss was the view from my room of the ocean. The sunrise behind the house in the backyard in the morning and the sun setting behind the ocean from my room at the front at night.

Dad took Mom out of my hands, literally, and cradled her. He gave me the keys to hold so he wouldn't jab her.

"Clair honey come on. We REALLY have to go if we wanna beat traffic." She blew her nose, took one last look and whimpered all the way to the passenger seat. Dad carefully placed her inside.

"George. Did we get EVERYTHING?"

"Yes, and if we didn't I will drive back down here myself and get whatever we forgot okay?" She nods and he kisses her nose. She is smiling now. Finally, maybe she would stop crying. Dad took the keys from me and started the engine.

"Ready?" He asked looking at my Mom and then looking at me. I nodded my head, Mom was a combination of nodding and shaking. Tears erupting from her petite face.

The drive went just as planned. Mom took four pit-stops. Two of which I stayed in the car reading and the other two to grab a bite at some highway diner. It was exciting to me, learning that I was going to a new school, and meeting new people. I'd outgrown the kids in Napa. They were…boring. I needed newness in my life. I hated things remaining the same. Change was one of the most beautiful gifts life could give us. And I was looking forward to a new surrounding. Clean crisp fresh air as opposed to musky dry. Rain. The woods. The new house. Everything was going to be different, but I was ready.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Forks W.A

"Oh my gosh, are we here?" I asked, leaning my head in-between the front two seats of the car.

"We sure are kid. Welcome home." I went back to my window and saw the sign. 'The City of Forks Welcomes You.' I smiled a big smile. Excitement going from my head right down through my arms, legs and all the way down to my toes. I rolled the window down. It was cloudy but not raining. It was June 13th. I was cold, but not freezing. Because Forks is close to the water, its usually always cold here Dad told me. Dads signal had given up on him for the navigator. He slowed as we rolled into the town.

"Honey pull over and ask. We'll just be going round in circles." Mom urged. My Dad hadn't the faintest idea of where we were going. We only knew the new house was just outside of town, not far from the La Push beach. In the middle of the woods. Secluded and peaceful. Dad slowed next to a woman carrying a young child in her arms.

"Hello." Dad said.

"Hi there. You folks alright?" Her voice was deep and husky.

"Yeah we're just looking for the…uh…Calawah River Park?"

"Oh you must be the Snow's." She said excitedly. "I'm Kathy Miller, I work for the Chamber of Commerce." She shook my Dads hand, holding the small child in her free arm.

"Hi Kathy. I'm George, this is my wife Clair, and uh…trouble in the back is our daughter Charlotte." I rolled my eyes nervously but I gave her a smile and wave anyways.

"How'd you do? Yeah so you're on the right path, that's the park just ahead of us. Just keep driving down here past the Sully's Burgers. You go over the bridge and turn the first…no..second right sorry and follow the path for 15 minutes. The moving truck should still be there for you guys." While they exchanged formalities and 'thank you's' I took a snapshot of the town.

I looked up from my phone startled. We were over the bridge and out of town! Dad was turning right. I missed it! I wanted to take a video of us arriving in town.

"Oh I missed it!"

"Missed what honey?" Mom asked.

"The town! I didn't get any pictures. Can we go back?"

"Charlotte we live here now, you can go get photographs later on after we've been to the house okay? Don't run before you can walk." My Dad said. I nodded my head and looked at the tree's outside. Admiring the majesty that they were. They were so tall! Taller than any building around here. Their colour was royal green, with drops of water falling from them. The ground below them was dry, the tree's were so thick that the rain seemed to slide down the side of them. Missing the woodland below completely.

"I see it." Mom perked up. "There! It's up there. You have to take the side road George." My Dad took us down a path, well at least, it was once a path. Now it was just mud.

"Dammit. I'm gonna have to slab that over." He said as he managed to pull the car forward out of the dirt. I couldn't hear anything but the sound of my music in my ears. I was listening to my score music playlist. Movie themes are my favourite music pieces to listen to. Ryuichi Sakamoto was playing something beautiful in my head. It was the perfect song for the first time I clasped eyes on my new home. Elegant, excited and buzzing. The music set the mood perfectly. Dad and Mom got out of the car and walked towards the movers. I got out slowly taking it all in. The car was parked on a side path behind it. No straight road went to the house.

The house, which used to be a ranger station, looked like something out of an old musical. It was a brown wooden house with faded white window panes. A front porch with stairs leading up to the front door. A stone chimney on the right hand side of the building. Two windows on either side of the door and two windows directly above. All around us were tree's and mountains and laid out in the front was a large field, with some white flowers sprouting out the ground. I fell in love with my home at that moment.

I walked all the way around the cottage. The kitchen had been extended out the back making it larger in size. I peered inside. Apart from a fridge and an old looking table, the place looked relatively new. I headed back to the moving van to my parents.

"I love it!" I said as I wrapped my arms around my Mother.

"We knew you'd like it. We love it too. It's so beautiful."

"It's our home." I said.

A couple of hours had passed and we were on our own. The moving truck had been unloaded and our house was filled with our belongings. We were worried that there would be no room, but the outside looks smaller than the inside. The couches had been placed, so had the TV, the table, the rug. The crockery boxes had been put in the kitchen, our beds and mattresses were taken upstairs and left in the hallway up there. And there were lots of boxes laid out at random. Mom was sorting the clothes, Dad went out to grab some food and I was in the kitchen wiping down the insides of the cupboard with a damp cloth.

"Okay you." Mom said loud enough to get my attention. Go and choose your bedroom and while you're at it, take this box up to the attic for me would you please?"

"Sure. Can I have any room?"

"There's only two up there, take your pick." She placed a box in my hands and I headed up the stairs.

At the top of the stairs you could go left or right. The door in front was the bathroom. I turned right first and saw two doors. I assumed the open one with all the light was the first room. When I walked inside, I realised that BOTH of the front upstairs windows were in there. The wall that was once here had been knocked down to make this space larger.

"Found my room!" I yelled out.

"_Front two windows?_" She called back, knowing well enough which one her daughter was more likely to choose.

"Yes!" I called back. Her light laughter was the only sound I could hear after that. I put the box down for a second and took a walk around. The walls were painted a cream colour. I liked it. No need to change any of that. Although the inside of the windows were a grey colour. I'd paint them white soon so they matched the windows in the front too. I liked having two windows. I was already mapping out where all of my stuff could go. I walked out into the hallway and looked up at the ceiling. There was no hatch to the attic. I walked into the room at the back of the house that was my parents but I couldn't see a hatch in there either. I went downstairs.

"Mom?"

"Mmm?"

"You sure we have an attic?"

"Oh yeah!" She said as if she just remembered something. "The closet in the hall? The stairs are behind that door." I was amused. Stairs in a closet? But sure enough, when I went back to go and check, there they were. Brown and narrow. They were steep stairs. I walked up to the attic with the box Mom gave me in my hands. There was a door at the top of the stairs and a skylight facing the back to let in some light. The attic didn't look creepy like I'd pictured. It was warm looking. The floorboards were a yellow dusty colour, but nothing a broom couldn't fix. I could stand upright in the attic too. I wondered if my parents would mind if I turned this into a reading room for me if I made space for it. I put the box down on the floor and proceeded to head back down when something caught my eye. It was another box. It was blue. Light blue. It was about the size of 4 shoeboxes all tied together. It wasn't ours.

"Where did you come from?" I asked it softly. I kneeled down beside it and lifted the lid. Inside was a sheet of white parchment paper. I lifted it and found a photograph. It was a wedding photo.

"_Charlotte where did you go?_" I heard my Mom shout.

"I'll be right there Mom!" I yelled back. I took the photo out. The couple were models I think? I turned the photograph around to see if I could find a name or date. There was nothing on it. I looked at the bride and groom again. He was wearing a morning suit with a white flower on his lapel. She wore a while long sleeved dress. Buttons running down the back. Her brown hair tied up with braids and nestled in an elegant bun above the nape of her neck. She had a comb in her hair, holding up the veil. Behind them were green trees. The same shade as the ones in Forks. They were married here. They were young. They looked like teenagers. At least 17 years old! Both of them had their eyes closed. The tips of their noses just touch ever so gently. I wanted to cry looking at their beauty. Their happiness and love fell off the page of the photograph.

"_Charlotte_!" Moms voice made me jump.

"Coming!" I put the lid back on the box and left the picture inside. I slid it behind a panel in the wall and ran downstairs to the living room.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Strange

It's been 3 weeks since we moved in. Everything's finally in its place, and Mom's finally stopped mourning our old home and fallen completely in love with the new one. Sleeping here was more peaceful too. The sound of the water where I used to sleep calmed me, but now the wind in the tree's here made things even more zen. More purposeful. I always left my window open slightly to let the air get in and around into my lungs as I slept. It made me feel more alive.

I bought paint for my room and glossed and varnished the trimming. The windows now matching the white exterior outside. My book collection was growing, so tomorrow I was going to take some of the books I'd fallen out of love with to the library to donate them. My pictures were hung up, so were the fairy lights, the rug was laid out, my closet was full but I needed more winter attire to deal with the weather in the town. It was a simplistic but cosy room. Just how I liked it.

The town was everything you think it would be and more. Everybody knew everybody, and everything was so close in range. Other than running to the grocery store for food and toiletries, we really didn't have anytime getting to know anybody in town or spending much time there. The house needed lots done to it. And we didn't want to do a half-assed job at moving in when it came to our new home. We wanted it finished so we could just start living.

Dad started his new job tomorrow. The reason we all moved here. They needed more police officers in the Forks area and since there was nowhere in the East Coast where we originally looked, Dad and Mom decided Forks would be the perfect place to settle for a while. And my Mom's an artist, she teaches, does workshop classes and is fascinated with Native American art and history. And since the Quileute Reservation wasn't far, she saw no issue with moving to Forks. And we didn't mind the rain.

"A beautiful and safe place to raise children," Mom said one night as I ate my spaghetti. I just about choked.

"How many more you guys planning to have?" I asked turning the attention back to her. My Dad laughed.

"Oh not us Charlotte. You!" She squealed. Dad and I exchanged the same look.

"I'm 17, there's no way I'm ready for children! I thought I'd start off small anyways. Maybe a goldfish?" Mom rolled her eyes.

"Come on Clair, let her live her life without worrying about all of…that…right now…"

"Thank you Dad."

"Of course you're too young right now! But in the future it wouldn't be so bad." I sighed slightly and I got up and cleared the plates from the table. I started to make coffee for all of us. Dad went to the fireplace to put it on. Children. Pftt. They were something I wanted ,sure. One day. But I didn't even have a boyfriend or anything yet. Not that I'd been looking. I was too focused on my writing. I wanted to be a writer or and author, or a journalist. Something creative that I created. ME. Nobody else. I wanted to create something that was mine. I lived in a world of books mostly, it was no wonder I wanted to become part of that phenomenon.

I had finished washing the dishes and was about to put the coffee into the mugs when my Mom creeped up behind me. Placing her arms around me.

"So honey, tomorrow's the big first day. How are you feeling?" Mom mused.

"I feel fine."

"Cause you know homeschooling is VERY in these days. You don't have to go to a new school if you don't want to." I turned and looked at her.

"Mom I need stimulation. Besides, I'm about the least shy 17 year old living today."

"All I'm saying is that you don't have to go to school if you're scared or nervous."

"Mom I WANT to go to school." And I wasn't lying. I was being 100% honest. I was excited. "You're the one who's scared and nervous I think." I said as I threw my arms around her and gave her a tight hug. "Please don't be Mom. I'll be fine." I let her go.

"I just want you to enjoy it. And to be yourself. That's the only advice I can give you." She smiled and I saw in her eyes that love she had for me. I gave her another hug.

"Cream and sugar?"

I was lying in bed. My eyes were closed and I hadn't stirred for an hour. I read a few chapter of a book as I always do before I go to sleep. But I couldn't roll over. I was either too hot or too cold. I sipped water to try and do something! Frustrated I sat up fast and leaned against the headboard. I turned on the light. I'd lost the fight. It was 3am. I was due to wake up in 3 hours, so I decided to boycott sleep altogether. I could nap when I got home tomorrow from school. I put on my purple house robe and shoved fuzzy socks on my feet and headed for the kitchen. I opened the fridge and the bright light from the bulb woke me up even more.

"Urgh." I let out. I reached around for the Brita jug. I found it eventually and put it on the kitchen island. I lit a match and ignited a candle letting a low glow take over the room. I poured the water into my tumbler and drank it slowly. The cold water running down my throat was so refreshing. My Dad loved adding cucumber slices to water, so it always has that taste. But it was homey. I poured another full glass and put the jug back in the fridge. I blew out the candle and headed back upstairs counting each one slowly as I went. 16 in total.

I was about to turn into my room, but decided to go back up to the attic.

Where I found the little blue box the day we moved in.

I left the glass in my room and grabbed my phone for a light. I walked up the stairs and opened the door slowly, letting each creek go quiet before I pushed it further open again. Eventually I was able to get all the way inside without waking my parents. I walked over to the panel, avoiding all the boxes that now took up the space. So much for creating a cosy nook for me to read in, but truth be told, my room wasn't that bad. One of my windows was being converted into a window seat so I guess that could work. I slid the panel in the attic away and took the box out. It was just as I'd left it, I hadn't been back inside it since we moved here.

Inside was the wedding photograph which I looked at again adoringly. I then pulled out a backpack, it was orange with brown straps, and a compass attached to one of the zippers. It was empty. I guess I had a new bag for school tomorrow then. I also found some other items, more personal ones. I found a little prayer bracelet with a blue bead in the centre, and a St. Jude bracelet that seemed to go perfectly with the prayer one. I found a book too. A copy of Wuthering Heights. It was a beautiful cover, one I didn't own. Who on earth possessed these treasures? They were so much to my taste it was as if this box was tailor made for ME. The last thing I found was another stack of photographs. It was the same couple again. With some other family members I hadn't seen previously. A photograph of them standing in a parking lot at what looked like my new high school. The boy was one of the most beautiful people I'd ever seen. Not necessarily my type, but undeniably beautiful. The girl was even more beautiful than the boy. She had pale skin, and chocolate brown eyes. She was petite, the boy towering over her in every photograph. There were other photographs in the box of other people too. Some kids from a high school, a man with a moustache, a stunning Native American looking boy with long hair fixing a motorbike, and lastly a family of 6. All standing in a forest, wisteria flowers hanging above their heads. All of them had these brilliant golden eyes that didn't seem natural. I was embarrassed by their beauty. I felt so plain. Ha! On the back of this photograph though where the names of the people and a date.

"Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett 2012. Forks Washington." Such old fashioned names. I tucked the treasures back inside, taking only the backpack and jewellery. I put the box back behind the panel but took a second glance. And on the side of the box was a name. Bella.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Authors note: _Thank you all so so much for you encouraging reviews and many follows on Instagram (I see you!) I really appreciate each and every one of you for taking the time to read my story and I can't wait for you all to continue reading! Thank you! _

_The Cullens are coming soon I promise! I just don't want to rush it. _

_Remember, Charlotte is expecting NOTHING to happen, so when it does its gonna be a massive WOAH moment!_

* * *

"Charlotte. You awake?" My Dads voice called from the bottom of the stairs. I was taking one last look in the mirror. Admiring the work I had done on my face making it appear as if I'd had any sleep at all. I was wearing my favourite jeans and a navy henley. The clouds hid the sky outside, but it wasn't raining. Just grey. I threw a hoodie over my shoulders and the orange backpack on my arm. It was already my favourite bag in the world. It fit everything in it.

"Charlotte come downstairs and get your breakfast!" Mom shouted. I ran out the room and shut the door behind me. I flew down the stairs and headed straight for the kitchen table. I sat down and poured myself a cup of coffee. I followed that with a bowl of Lucky Charms.

"Nutritious(!)" Mom said silently. "Well let me look at you." She was holding a camera aimed at my face. I looked up with a mouthful of cereal, milk spilling out the side. "Urgh. Charlotte you're a mess! Wipe your mouth, I wanna get a photo." I swallowed and stood up wiping away the milk with a napkin. Before she could even take the photograph she started to cry.

"Mom come on. It's just school."

"Sorry. I just can't help it. You look so grown up. Gosh. It took moving to realise that honey." I gave her another hug and she held me tightly. Mom was never one from shying away from affection. When she let me go I started to shake a little. Damn nerves. I hated that. Mom obviously noticed.

"Sweetheart." She started to say as I sat down. "Forks High School has a really good reputation. You don't have to be nervous."

"I'm actually really excited, being new doesn't scare me. I know I'll make friends. I don't know why I'm shaking. Maybe it's adrenaline."

"Yeah baby, it's probably that." I tried finishing my cereal quickly as I knew time was marching on.

"You got your lunch?" She asked moving away.

"No not yet." She handed me a paper bag and inside was a sandwich, apple, soda and some yoghurt. "Thanks Mom." I said.

I threw it in my bag and headed for the car. Dad would drop me off on his way to the police station for his first day too. I threw my bag on the floor of the front seat and I turned and saw my parents saying their goodbyes. The love they had for one another was so undeniable. My parents were good together. A unit. A team. Most of my friends parents were divorced, or separating. Others didn't know their Moms or Dads. We were what most called 'old fashioned.' I caught them looking at me.

"Alright honey, I have to go." Dad said. "Don't wanna be late on my first day." He kissed her lips, and then her nose.

"Knock em dead honey. You'll be great." They parted and I walked to her.

"I'm glad we moved here. You and Dad needed this." I said with a smile. She pulled me in close to cuddle me. Her bracelets tangling in my long brown hair. I was telling the truth. I couldn't wait to start school. I've never been shy.

* * *

Forks High School looked just like every other school I'd ever seen. Except it was smaller and brightly lit. When I walked in, the heat hit me like a train. It was familiar. I already knew I was being looked at. Which, of course, was fine, because I'm the 'New Kid.' A name I knew would wear off in a week or so. I followed the signs to the front office. I found it easily. The school wasn't that hard to navigate around.

The woman behind the glass door was small. She had grey roots coming in, her old hair a red colour. Her face was petite, and she had wrinkles around her mouth and eyes. She was wearing a green sweater, and in this heat I wanted to take it off her. Or give her a fan at least.

"Hello." I chirped. Knocking on the glass. She slid it over and looked up.

"May I help you?" She asked.

"I'm Charlotte Snow. It's my first day." By that point she had already gathered the many sheets of paper I was going to be handed.

"Sign here." She said as she passed me a clipboard through the window. "This is your schedule, your locker combination and you'll need all your teachers to sign this slip at the end of each class to bring back at the end of the day." I started to pack it all in my ring binder. "Here's a map to the school and your Q card, you can put money on this using the machines next to the cafeteria to buy lunch. Do you have any questions?"

"Uh, not at the moment no." I smiled.

"Well in that case here you go, I hope you have a good first day. Welcome to Forks High." At that point the bell rang and I proceeded to follow the map to my first class. English. Perfect way to start my day.

The rest of my day leading up to lunch was uneventful. Everyone seemed friendly enough. My teachers were teachers and I had already sussed who the popular kids were as opposed to the ones that just existed. I would try and fit myself into THAT category. I dumped my bag in my locker and took my lunch to the cafeteria. I looked around at where I could sit. If they didn't close the library at lunch I would have happily gone there, but I had to go and mingle. I noticed a girl from my history class, Sabine. She had short blonde hair and wore rusty coloured eyeshadow. She gave me a pen in class when mine ran out of ink. She spoke with a deep husky voice and had a copy of Jane Eyre in her bag. She seemed promising. I walked up to her table. She was sat with another girl and a guy I didn't recognise.

"Hey." I started. They all looked up. "Hi, mind if I sit here?"

"Of course! We were gonna come find you. Grab a chair." Sabine said smiling. She moved up to make room for me to sit by her.

"Thanks." I looked at the other people sitting at the table and introduced myself. "I'm Charlotte."

"I'm Anya." The girl sat by Sabine said. "And this is Taylor." Taylor reached over and shook my hand. His hand tight around mine.

"Hey how you doing?" He asked standing up to reach me better.

"Good, thank you." I took my soda out the brown bag and opened it taking a large gulp. I didn't realise how thirsty I was.

"So, Charlotte, tell us a little bit about yourself. Where you from?" Anya asked.

"Wow okay, um, well I was born in Scotland and moved to Napa when I was 3 weeks old. I've lived there ever since. My Dad works at the police station and my Mom's an artist."

"You got any brothers or sisters?" Sabine asked.

"No I think my Mom found it too painful the first time so she just kinda thought 'Nah I don't wanna go through that again.'" The table shook with laughter. That was a good sign.

"So Scotland huh? Your parents from there?"

"My Mom's Father is, but he moved to Indiana and met my grandmother there. They moved back when my Mom went off to college and they don't charge you to hold your baby in the hospitals over there so Mom wanted me to be born there without costing them any money." Again they laughed. I was good at this.

"I've always wanted to go to Scotland. The food, the culture, Braveheart, the people, the mountains." Anya sighed dreamily.

"Its beautiful. We go there once in a while to visit my grandparents. It's worth the trip. You should go."

"Well I just gotta make sure I pass Bio this year otherwise that football scholarship is out the window." Taylor mused biting into his burrito that wa sos full it started spilling out the sides.

"Well if you just studied instead of hanging out on the field all day you might! I could help you if you let me."

"Sabine I can't afford a tutor. Alright?"

"I'm not asking you to pay me Tay. I just wanna help you."

"You mean that?" He asked back dumbfounded. I started to make a connection.

"Yes." She answered. Her smile was overtaking her face. 'Ooh' I thought. Sabine likes Taylor.

The rest of lunch was an interrogation on me. Again this was fine, once this part fades the rest of it does. And I just become 'one of them.' Anya was headed to Biology after lunch, and since I didn't know they way to the science department, I offered to walk her along. I had a free period after lunch anyways. The bell rang and the students groaned. We all got up and like cattle moved at a slow pace to get out the cafeteria doors. I decided not to push though and waited until the crowd had passed. Anya waited with me.

"Good thinking." She said holding her books so they wouldn't get crushed. We walked alone down the hallway.

"We have to cut through the parking lot to get to building 3." She said. I grabbed my bag from my locker and put my hoodie on pulling all of my hair into the hood. We half ran towards building 3. At this point the rain was being thrown out of the sky. We got inside and both our cheeks were red. I took off my hoodie and shook it dry.

"God, why on earth would you trade Napa for this place?" She asked huffing and puffing from the run.

"I'm starting to question that myself." I laughed.

"Well I'm in that room down the hall with Mr Melina, its the same class you'll need for tomorrow!" She told me. I took note of the directions I would need for tomorrow. We exchanged goodbyes and she dashed off to her class. The sound of her sloshy wet sneakers faded as she got further away, leaving a trail of her wet footprints as the only reminder that she was there at all.

I noticed a sign for the girls bathroom, up the stairs on my left. I followed the steps and walked into room. It was empty, with only 5 stalls in it. A large potted plant was on the floor next to the sinks. I set my bag down and took off my hoodie. It was soaked.

I set it on the radiator and tried to dry it a little. I grabbed my bag and went into the very last stall which had more room in it and a chair. I sat myself on the chair, taking off my shoes and stuffing them with toilet paper to absorb some of the water before last period. I plugged in my earphones and took out my English notes. I looked over the reading list. Most of the books on the slip were ones I already had the joy of reading before. But there were some I hadn't read. I was going to the bookstore after school anyways, sop maybe id find some books there.

* * *

"How was your first day?" Mom asked enthusiastically as I sat myself in the seat next to her in the car.

"Wet." I answered glumly. She started to drive out the parking lot.

"You make any friends?"

"Yeah a few. Didn't really get to talk to anybody in my classes though, I was too focused on catching up with what I've not learned. They were really nice though. The ones I met."

"Thats great honey." We were passing by town now "Okay so I was thinking." She started. "We swing by the bookstore, grab some coffee and I'll make pasta bake for dinner? How does that sound?"

"It sounds great Mom." I focused my eyes on the tree's as we sped past them. "Do you know what time Dad finishes?" I asked as we passed the police station. I noticed his car was still parked out front.

"Can't say for sure. He was working with the chief a lot today, mostly paperwork but he says the Chief's really nice. That his wife Sue makes excellent cookies."

"What's his name?"

"Uh. . .let me think. . . Charlie! Yes that's it Charlie Swan. Chief Swan to us until we get to know him better."

The conversation was pretty much mundane after that. Mom dropped me off at the bookstore and I hauled the box of my old novels into the shop. I put the box on the counter and hit the bell on the counter. While the bookkeeper was sorting through the box I was in search of the books on my reading list for English. I held the slip of paper in my hand and walked through the library from A-Z. In the end I only found 3 out of the 15 books.

"Did you find everything okay miss?" He asked me with a smile. The man was an older gentleman, tall with a grey beard and shoulder length hair. He looked more life a fisherman than a bookkeeper.

"Yeah not so bad." I was getting the money out of my wallet.

"You know Port Angeles has a wider variety of books? It's not my place to say, since I should be trying to sell you the stock we have here, but that's the truth."

"Where's that?"

"Port Angeles, it's about a good hour away North. Not hard to find though." He gave me the directions and I paid for my books. I shoved them in my backpack and went to the car, the smell of hot coffee filled my nose and I invited it.

When Mom and I got home I helped her carry the grocery bags into the kitchen. My sneakers making a sloshy sound when it hit the wooden floor. The rest of my clothes clung to me in a very uncomfortable way.

"Oh honey, you need to buy new clothes. Warmer ones, Rainproof. And boots! You need boots."

"I have to get a job first. I can't afford that right now. I spent all of the money I had leftover from the restaurant back home on books and paint."

"Well we'll just have to see what we can do about that, and you better start looking for a job too. Theres lots of places in town probably crying out. You'll look on Saturday?" Even though it sounded like a question, it was also a command. I smiled and nodded.

"Okay, I'll get started on dinner, YOU go and get showered, you're starting to stink!" She teased. I downed my coffee which had gone lukewarm and tossed the cup into the trash. I walked up to my room and started to disrobe. My room didn't have an en-suite like my parents did, so my bathroom was down the hall cross from theirs. Not convenient but I couldn't complain. It was still MY bathroom.

* * *

The hot water from the shower started to steam up the entire bathroom and my body had been exfoliated and cleaned to perfection. I felt like I had a new skin. I lathered up my hair in a caramel scented shampoo I got from one of the beauty stores in town. It smelled delicious, I didn't want to get out of the shower. When I got out, I threw on my PJ's and threw the wet towels and damp clothes into the hamper in the corner of my room. I started on some History homework. The Irish Potato famine. Wonderful(!) Such fascinating work to revise. Thousands of Irishman starving to death, children and families dying out all over the island. It wasn't exactly easy to stomach once you saw the photographs in my booklet.

Dinner went down fast, Dad came home, ate and crashed on the cofa from exhaustion. I was tired too. It was 10:36pm, I decided to go to bed. The previous night had been a disaster for trying to get any sleep so I was determined now more than ever. I took 2 Tylenol PMs and drank a glass of water. I fell asleep within 8 minutes.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The bright sky outside my window woke me on the first Saturday of my school week. The light was blinding coming through the attic skylight. Oh crap. I'd fallen asleep up here again. I was instantly cold. The heating didn't work in the attic, there was no need for it of course. I had been sleeping on a fold out bed that my Mom bought for any visitors we had. It was comfortable enough. The candle from the night before had burned out. I pulled the comforter up over my shoulders and felt my whole body shaking from the cold. I had come up here last night to study, but that turned into reading 'Anna Karenina.' One of the books on the reading list I hadn't read. I looked at my watch, it was 07;40. Too early for Mom to be awake, too late for my Dad to still be here on a Saturday.

I closed my eyes to dream. But I could only think about yesterday and how wonderful the day started out.

* * *

I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth when my Dad called on me from the bottom of the stairs.

"Hey Char? Get down here! Your Mom and I have a surprise for you!" I dabbed my face with a towel.

"You guys know I love you right but I'm gonna be late for school!" I yelled as I grabbed my bag and skipped down the stairs. I had slept in a lot later than I had time for.

"You won't be late with this." My Mom said in a child-like voice. She walked outside to join my Dad who was already stood on the front porch, a cup of coffee in his hands.

In front of the house parked on the grass was a large, yet faded orange chevy truck.

"What the hell?" I whispered taking small steps towards the truck. "Is this mine?" I emphasised on that last word.

"You have your mother to thank for it." Dad said. "The man at the junkyard said he's never met a more beautiful woman, or ate more delicious oatmeal cookies in his life." My Mom told me that she was going around town that day to hand out flyers for her art workshops. So of course she gave them to everybody. Even the man at the junkyard?

She was turning red. "He didn't say I was the most beautiful woman! Gosh George calm down." She said nudging him embarrassed. "I simply asked him about it and he gave me a really good price. Said his son had been working on it for 3 years, when he finally got it working nobody wanted to buy it. So I did. It's yours." My hands were clinging to the beast now. The truck was MINE?

"But sweetheart, we know it's not as pretty or attractive or sporty as you might like it. But we thought you might like it for the time being, so you could get around town easier." I was silent. I was stunned. I was in disbelief. "We could always get you something better later on in the year…" My Dad's words were muted by my body crashing into the both of them. Hugging them tightly.

"I love it." I whispered "Thank you so much. I can't believe you got me a car!" I went back to the truck and opened the door.

"Told you she'd love it." My Mom said nudging my Dad who was sighing with relief. I climbed inside and closed the door behind me. The seats smelled of a very old leather. The wheel felt at home between my hands. It had a glove box and lots of space in it too. I had passed my drivers test in Napa but we couldn't afford a car when I passed. But I was on the insurance on my parents car. So I knew what to do when it came to the real thing.

* * *

When I decided to get out of the the frozen attic, I went to my room and dropped off my books. I was tempted heavily to go back to bed, but I needed coffee. I walked softly through the house. It was the first time I'd been in it alone. I knew Mom would be in bed but I still felt alone.

The house we were living in was refurbished 11 years ago. It used to be the ranger station for the greater olympic park but since the area was now quartered off and new houses were built on the land, the use of a ranger station in the area wasn't needed anymore. It lay empty for about 40 years until 11 years ago, it was refurbished all the way down to a new foundation. But the house went on market at the bank and my parents came into it by pure luck. No name attached to the previous owner, or anything detailing who it could have belonged to. Except for that box in the attic with Bella's things inside. Whoever she was. I searched on social media for her. To contact her to see how I could return her belongings. She didn't exist on any major social network platforms. I gave up the ghost and decided to stop the search. Whoever she WAS, either didn't want to be found or was dead.

"Did you fall asleep upstairs again?" Mom asked as she buttered her toast.

"Yeah sorry." I apologised.

"Theres nothing to be sorry for honey, I was just asking." She came over to the table and sat with me. "So I have an art class this afternoon at the care home. You want to come with me?"

"I'd love to, but I have to go into town first and pick up a new jacket."

"Oh that reminds me." She said. She walked over to her purse on the counter and grabbed her wallet. She pulled at least $100 out of it.

"Mom." I started. I was about to put up a fight.

"Shut up I don't wanna hear it."

"I don't want your money." I persisted.

"You have $17. That's not nearly enough for a GOOD jacket.

"It is for a second hand one. That's all I was getting."

"Well then take this to get yourself some hiking boots, and a scarf or a hat." She pushed the cash into my hands and I put it in my pocket.

"Thank you." I grumbled. I hated taking her money. I was determined now more than ever to get a job. So I could pay her back.

"I better take more applications again today." I said while taking a bite of my toast.

"Still no luck one the job front huh?" She asked re-taking her seat. I just shook my head.

"I tried the burger place, the gift shop, even the market. Nothing."

"Well there's Newtons Outfitters or the movie theatre."

"We HAVE a movie theatre?" I hadn't seen it.

"Yeah, it's next to the North Bay. We haven't passed by it because it's a little far out but it's there. A nurse who works at the care home told me they were hiring." That would be perfect. It's a movie theatre in a town populated with only 3,126 people. The place would be dead all the time, and easy to clean up. "So you'll go do your thing and meet me at 3?"

"Yes lets make that the plan."

I decided to give up on the second hand jacket search. Nothing on the racks of the donation stores were my size. And some of the coats were too damp to be passed over as fairly good quality. I bit the bullet and headed for Newtons. I parked the truck up outside the main entrance, it was raining again and I didn't have an umbrella. That was also going on my list. As I walked inside I noticed a lot of sale signs to the right so I headed in that direction first.

I found a really nice yellow raincoat, almost mustard coloured. $70 down to $25. I put it around my arm. I then went to the back of the store towards the shoe and boot rack. I found a pair of light tan coloured hiking boots that were lined with fleece. They were a little expensive but in the long run they would last me a long time. They were water proof too. I was perplexed.

"Those are good for hiking." A deep voice came from behind me. I was startled. I turned with the boots in my hands.

"They are…?" My throat went dry. The person standing in front of me was very nice to look at. He was tall. Probably about 6ft 2. He looked young though, ages with me. His skin was the same shade as mine. Pale but with bronzed undertones. He had been well travelled it seemed. He was handsome. VERY handsome. "Thanks." I said almost shaking.

"You're welcome." He stood there smiling.

"Um…" I blurted. "Do you work here?" I asked. He smiled. His teeth white and clean. They complimented his eyes. The beautiful blue that they were. I could easily get lost in those eyes.

"No. I don't work here." He smiled with his mouth shut this time. I smiled back.

"Sorry." I said. I turned and started to walk towards the equipment section. He followed behind me. When I stopped he did to. When I started walking, he did the same. I felt a weird feeling inside. Crush feelings. I turned and he was much closer to me this time. Closer than I anticipated. "Are you following me?" I asked nervously.

"No. I was headed towards the hiking equipment."

"Oh well by all means." I moved aside from him. Maybe he was just a faster walker than I was. He didn't move. He tried to hold in laughter.

"You gonna make me stand here all day waiting for you to go?" I asked him.

"Yes I think I might. It's kind of amusing." We were looking at one another now. He moved, but only to mirror my stance. "I wasn't going towards the hiking equipment." He confessed.

"So where were you going?" I asked.

"I was following you."

"Ah-ha!" I said a little too loudly. "Wait, why? Are you a stalker?" I teased.

"No. I was actually going to introduce myself. That's usually what someone does when they want to get to know somebody else." I breathed a sigh of relief. His brown hair fell just over his eyebrows. It was styled in that way that where you could tell he didn't spend hours in front of the mirror perfecting it. He just let it grow and brushed it once a day I guessed.

"Well introduce yourself then." I demanded. He smiled brightly.

"I'm Brendan." He put out his hand.

"Charlotte." I said taking his hand in mine. His hand was large. Mine disappeared in his fingers. "I just moved here."

"I guessed so. I haven't seen you around town before until these last few weeks."

"You noticed I was new?" I asked back.

"It's a small town, not a lot of the residents even come out of their houses. They're that old." I laughed quietly. I looked down and his hand and mine were still together.

"I think our hands like each other." I said nervously, swinging them back and fourth.

"Yeah I think they do." He looked down with me. He took his other hand and touched the bracelets I was wearing around my wrists. Stroking the beads. I felt my body shake. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to kiss him badly.

"So." I said looking back at his head.

"So." Was his response. My shoulders relaxed. I let go of his hand. I could feel the urge to play with my hair but I resisted.

"Do you go to Forks High? I haven't seen you there." I asked.

"I graduated last year."

"Oh so do you go to college?" He paused.

"No, I don't." He seemed almost ashamed. Maybe he didn't apply? Maybe his parents could afford college tuition. Whatever the reason, he looked uncomfortable. So I responded with.

"College isn't all it's cracked up to be you know?" I said trying to ease his embarrassment. "My Mom didn't go to college. And she turned out really good." He laughed out loud.

"I'm not in college because I wasn't smart enough. I just didn't want to go." He said answering my un-asked question.

"So what do you do?" I asked him.

"I worked at the timber factory, but, now I've got enough money saved up to go travelling."

"You're leaving?" My voice sounded pleading. Why on earth did I say it like that? I didn't know this guy. I wasn't even his girlfriend. Or friend even. I literally met him 10 seconds ago. I cleared my throat.

"Tomorrow morning." He answered. "Just had to get some more things. We're backpacking the trip" Oh. I figured. 'We'. Of course he had a girlfriend! He was too handsome to be single. "Me and my friends." He said. He must have thought what I was thinking. That I thought he was in a relationship. He saved my heart from hurting there.

"Your friends?" I asked.

"Yeah. We've been wanting to do it since we met in foster care a few years ago." An orphan. Could this guy be any more mysterious to me? Or tragic?

"When we turned 18 we knew we wanted to go, but didn't want a guardian there to be in charge of the trip." He went on to tell me that his friends David and Henry were in the same system as he was as we walked around Newtons. The three of them lived together until they were 15 and they only recently reconnected. They wanted to go to Europe and see everything. I wanted to got with them, it sounded so exciting. They would be gone for 7 months.

"And then we'll move to Seattle. It's where the most work is. I only wish there was more opportunity for work here in Forks" We were at the checkout now. I paid for my items.

"So would you come back to Forks?" I asked.

"Yeah. I wasn't born here, but I dunno. There's something about this place that feels like home." He smiled again. I wanted to take a picture. "What about you? What do you want to do?"

"I want to be an author." I said confidently.

"Tortured soul?" He asked grinning.

"I just have a lot of thoughts. I want to make something that'll impact the world. Change lives."

"Well maybe one day I could get to read some of it."

"Yeah, maybe one day."

When we left the store he held the door open for me and I walked under his arm.

"Thank you." I said adoring him again. We were at the truck now. But just standing outside it.

"So."

"So." I replied. We were standing in the rain. But we didn't flinch. We couldn't stop looking at each other. We laughed out loud at how ridiculous the situation was. The thunder cracking broke our gaze on one another. "I suppose I better let you go." I was sad. Instantly sad. He looked sad too. The rain poured heavier.

"Yeah, I should let you go too. Cause otherwise, I won't leave." I gulped. How was this possible? How was this possible to meet someone who was like this? Who spoke so kindly, and wasn't a 'dude'. Who was smart and not arrogant. Who was funny without being mean. I had only read about guys like this in books or seen them in movies. I must have been dreaming. He held open the door to my truck and I threw the bags inside. I turned once more facing him. His body was closer to mine than it ever was before.

"Well, have fun in Europe." I said trying to sound optimistic.

"Thanks, I will. Have fun in school." We both laughed. "Sorry I know that sounds dumb. But I didn't get a chance to ask you anything about yourself really."

"It's okay, maybe one day if you come back, we can pick up where we left off?"

"I'd like that. I'd like that a lot actually." The rain was soaking us both completely now. He pushed me inside my truck until I was at in my seat, my feet hanging off the raised up chair. His hands were on my shoulders, my hands were holding his elbows. We were in an 'almost embrace'. He breathed so close to my face I could feel the heat from his mouth.

"Well this has been the best trip to the Newtons Hardware store I've had in all my life." He said.

"It won't ever be the same again." I said shaking my head slowly.

"It better not be." He replied.

He moved away from me. He took in a big breath of air.

"Well, have fun in Europe." The only thing I could think to say.

"You already said that." Oh crap so I did. I was turning red. I turned and looked away, and pretended to be messing around with something on the dashboard.

"I will say something different than I did the first time though." He said. I turned and looked at him. "I'll have fun, but there won't be a Charlotte there. So my trip won't be nearly as amazing as I'd hoped now" I gasped quietly. I wanted to cry.

"Goodbye Brendan." I said giving him my hand. He looked at it for a moment and took a breath. He took my hand in his and gave it a squeeze.

"Goodbye Charlotte." Then he did something I did not expect. He kissed the back of my hand! His lips were soft and gentle. And warm. He lifted his lips over the back of my hand for 3 seconds before lifting his head and releasing me. It was slow. Slow motion. He backed away and whispered another goodbye. I pulled my legs all the way into the truck and he closed the door. He smiled and then he waved. Brendan tuned and walked towards the woods. I sat in my truck for 10 minutes after that.

"Oh god." I whispered. I was smiling. I had NEVER in my wildest dreams imagined this. I only went out for some clothes for heavens sake. I couldn't think about anything else. I wouldn't think about anything else.

I drove to the movie theatre and left an application on the counter. Not caring if I got the job or not. I drove to the Carver Cafe where my Dad liked to go for food and ordered a coffee. I sat at the table, soaked, people staring at me. I barley touched my cup. I was going over the encounter in my mind. Replying it as many times as I could. I took out a notepad and pen from my bag and began writing it down, so I wouldn't forget it. So I wouldn't forget him. Brendan. Even his name was divine. His blue eyes captivated my heart.

Ands then I thought about all the things I didn't ask him. What was his last name? What was his number? Where did he live? How old was he?

For all I knew he had a girlfriend, or I was in the middle of some cruel dare. A 'Dogfight'. For those who didn't know what a 'Dogfight' was, it's where a group of people, typically guys, go and seek out the ugliest girl they can find and try to get her number and make her feel certain feelings. Like the 'he might actually like me' feeling, and the let them fall down hard. Heartbroken. But no. There was no way that was this. This was real.

I'd finished my coffee and left the money on the table. I went out to the truck and turned the heat all the way up. I headed for the care home. 45 minutes later than we had planned. When I got inside I went to the department my Mom was usually in. The residents were in the room, but they were putting their equipment away. I was confused. Where was my Mom?

"You okay there?" A woman's voice asked. She was wearing a uniform.

"Hi, I'm looking for my Mom?"

"Oh you must be Clairs daughter! Sweetie your Mom left about 30 minutes ago, she said there was some kind of emergency." I froze. All thoughts of my morning had vanished from my brain. All thoughts of Brendan. Gone. Unimportant. An infatuation. I snapped back to reality.

"What are you talking about what kind of emergency?"

"I don't know sweetie she just said she had to go and that there was an emergency."

"Do you know where she went?!" I was panicking.

"No I'm sorry." I turned and ran for the front door. I pushed my way through. Sure enough, if I hadn't noticed before, her car wasn't in the parking lot. I took my phone out of my bag and there they were. 12 missed calls. My phone on silent. I called her immediately. She answered after 4 rings.

_"Charlotte?"_

"Mom! Where are you? Are you alright?"

_"I'm okay. I'm at the hospital."_

"Why what's wrong?" I could feel tears coming on.

_"Its's your Dad."_ That I was not expecting. My knee's felt weak. _"Somethings happened."_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6. In My Place

"Excuse me? Excuse me! Miss?" A nurses voice tried to stop me. But I could barely hear her. I was so focused on my goal. Finding my parents. Eventually a taller more sturdy nurse stepped right in front of me.

"Hon' you're gonna be walking in circles if you keep wandering around."

"I can't stop, I have to find my Dad." I snapped. "Dad!" I called out. Eventually the nurse put her hand on my shoulder.

"You're gonna have to calm down. Who are you looking for?"

"George Snow. He was brought in an hour ago." She pursed her lips. Her eyes looked over my shoulder.

"You just walked passed him. He's in room 1." I scowled at her. And then turned and walked back to his room. I opened the door and there he was, with my Mom by his side wiping his face down with a white, but now turned bloody brown cloth.

"Dad!" I cried.

"Baby. Is that you?" He said wearily. I walked in slower this time. He was alive, that mattered most of all. Mom was very cryptic on the phone. I was shaking with adrenaline.

"Oh thank god." I said as I walked closer to his bed. He was lying down, his uniform trousers on, his white vest that he wore under his shirt was covered in dirt. The rest of his uniform was in a pile on the side table. Mom stayed seated caring for her injured husband. His shoulder was in a sling, he had a small cut on his cheek, and his ribs looked bruised under his white vest. "What happened?"

"Would you please tell your Mom I'm fine, I just wanna go home. Have a drink." I laughed in relief. He looked terrible but it was cosmetic, the blood and dirt would wash away. He was still my Dad.

"Mom?" I looked at her. But she was crying. Well, not crying, weepy.

"A damn bear or a cougar or something I don't know I was out in the field today, me and the chief and a couple of the boys. We were tracking a…uh…something that's not gonna make a difference to you if you know or not." Wow. Something pretty serious if my Dad wanted to keep it a secret from me. "So we were looking for something when all of a sudden this big thing came outta nowhere and knocked me into a tree. I dislocated my shoulder and I got a cracked rib." I smiled. "Why are you smiling?"

"Because I'm happy you're okay." I leaned over him and gave him a light hug, barely touching so I didn't hurt him. He winced a little. "Whoah what's wrong?" I jumped back.

"Ribs honey, relax I'm fine." He tried to sit up.

"I wouldn't be so quick to sit up right now George." A whimsical voice came into the room. I turned to see a man dressed in a white coat. Ah good, the doctor was here. I got up and moved round the bed to my Mom's side. "You've got a splintered rib, a fractured shoulder and perhaps a concussion. It's hard to tell when you wont stop talking." The kind man said with a warm smile. "What you need is rest, plenty of it. I've already told Chief Swan you'll be out of work for at least 6 weeks." My Dad winced. "But please relax, you'll still be paid the hours you are contracted to work."

"Oh, well that's great. Thanks Doc." He said shaking his hand. "This is my daughter Charlotte." I looked away from Dad and looked upon the face of the Doctor.

"Hello Charlotte." He said reaching out his hand across my Dads bed. I took it and gave it a small shake. He was…cold. Like. Ice cold. "I'm Dr Cullen." He said as our hands parted.

"Nice to meet you. Thank you so much for looking after my Dad. Does he have to stay in overnight? What can we do at home to help him?"

"Staying overnight wont be necessary, he can go home in an hour once he's been discharged. At home don't let him lift a finger. Sounds great doesn't it George? And having two beautiful ladies in the house to help you out can't hurt right?"

"No. I'm very blessed." He smiled.

"I'll come back to discharge you in an hour. Lovely to meet you both." He smiled. And then he left, closing the curtain behind him on his way.

"What do you want for dinner tonight honey? You can have anything you want. Spaghetti, a burger, some tortellini?" Mom asked.

"Ooh, id love some of that pizza you made last week. That would be great." He answered.

"Oh honey I don't have the ingredients for that." She bit her lip.

"Mom it's okay, I'll go and get them. I'll go and grab the stuff and pick up a movie on the way home too okay? And don't worry about anything I'll get started on the base when I get home and you can do the rest." I smiled with a solution.

"Thanks baby." She kissed my forehead and I gave Dad a fist bump with his good arm.

"See you in an hour!" I headed out the door.

As I walked to hall to the front door, I looked at the reception desk and saw Dr Cullen with an older nurse looking at some paperwork. He was so beautiful. His face was porcelain white, with not so much as a wrinkle showing. His hair a golden colour that complimented his inhuman gold eyes. He was tall, spoke gently and had good posture. He could have been a model if not a Doctor. I cleared my throat addressing the fact I was staring and walked to my truck. All the things I'd picked up at Newtons needed to be taken home as well. I'd completely forgotten the trip there earlier that day. I'd forgotten Brendan. How…instantly I felt connected to him. But he was gone.

He left.

He would forget all about me, and our encounter. And I'd probably just be another one of 'those girls.' So I made the decision there and then, to take care of my Dad, focus on school, help Mom out as best as I can, and to write. To finally write something good that was mine.

The next day I was kept home from school. I'd been up til 3am helping Dad out so Mom and him insisted I get some sleep. I made the dinner the night before, tidied the house, helped Mom get Dad upstairs so she could wash him. I finished my homework and then realised what time it had gotten to. I thought 3 hours sleep would be enough but Mom wouldn't hear of it. So I woke up around 11am and stumbled into the kitchen to get coffee. There was none.

"Mom?" I grumbled. "There's no coffee. I'm going to buy coffee." She giggled.

"Need it that bad?" I nodded my head. "Okay. Oh! Could you also grab some…." But I was already halfway up the stairs to get dressed.

"Write me a list." I said without turning back. I quickly pulled on my jeans and a sweatshirt from my hamper. I was only going out to the store. And everyone would still be in school at this time, no need to look presentable.

When I had picked up the coffee and got the groceries Mom asked me to get, I decided to swing by the hospital to see Dr Cullen again. I wanted to thank him properly for taking care of my Dad so well. The state my Dads mangled body was in, it should have taken weeks to discharge him. But Dr Cullen had him bandaged up and fixed up so well that he was able to come home with us last night. He did an amazing job were most doctors might have taken their time and kept my Dad in longer. When I got inside I walked to the desk and asked the lady there where he was. She pointed me in the direction of his office. I knocked on the door.

"Come in." His musical voice said with clarity. As if there was no door separating us. I peered my head around the open door.

"Dr Cullen?" I said.

"Oh. Miss Snow, come in." He stood up and walked around the other side of his desk. "What can I do for you?" I shut the door behind me and stood holding my bag in my hands.

"I hope you don't mind me coming in, I just wanted to say thank you again for helping my Dad yesterday."

"Well I wouldn't be doing my job well if I didn't help the wounded out as best as I could now would I?" He answered with a charming smile.

"Yeah your right. I know it's literally me just coming in to say thank you but I want you to know how grateful I am. My Dad…I mean he's my whole world. I don't know what would have happened if he was worse. Thank God he wasn't." I sighed in relief thinking of how bad it COULD have been. Dr Cullen smiled at me and came a little closer.

"Thank you Charlotte. I've always known how to help people. It brings me peace. It makes me happy." He looked nostalgic. "And I can tell that you love your family very much. It's admirable"

"They're the best."

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

"I was forced to take the day off. I wanted to go in but I guess humans can't survive school with only 3 hours sleep right? I was up helping Dad and Mom most of the night."

"You're a good daughter." He smiled. "Has your dad taken his medicine this morning to help with the pain?"

"Yes. My Mother likes a schedule so she's making sure of it. I'm pretty sure it'll end with him trying to sneak out of the house in a few days though. But I wont let him." We both laughed quietly. "But look I'll let you get back to, doctor stuff, and uh. Yeah. Thanks so much again Dr Cullen."

"Carlisle." He said.

"Carlisle. Thank you." I shook his hand once more and then I left. Dr Carlisle Cullen. Has a nice ring to it.

It's been a week since my Dads accident. Everything was routine now.

At 8 Dad got up and had breakfast.

At 9 he took his first pill. Some kind of pain relief but not an over-the-counter type.

At 10 he sat on the porch with Mom and got some fresh air.

12 was some moderate sitting down exercises to help strengthen his arm again.

And from 2 onwards he was parked up in-front of the 50 inch with Mom replenishing his food and drinks for the rest of the day until dinner.

School was fine. I had missed a test the day I took off school which I'd forgotten about completely, but when Mom called the school to tell them they made an exception for me. I had to sit it the week after though. What was worse about all of this was that my Mom wouldn't let me go into the woods for walks.

Since moving to Forks, in all its beauty and safety, I had only been to the olympic park forests once. And I spent over 3 hours there one afternoon. Just walking around and taking it all in.

"But Mom, I stick to the paths. I promise I wouldn't go off the trail."

"Charlotte I said no. Please stop asking me."

"What if I went with a friend?"

"I'd still say no."

"Because?"

"I haven't MET any of your friends."

"Touche." I took a sip of my orange juice. Mom was cleaning dishes and Dad was watching a rerun of the game last night. "So what are you doing today?" I asked.

"This afternoon I'm booked up with art classes and then a dance workout at the high school this evening. I wanna try out. You?"

"Well I have an interview in an hour at the movie theatre."

"Oh honey that's great. I'm sure you'll get it. It seems like a great little job for now."

"I agree. So you won't be home til tonight?"

"Yes, probably around 9. I've not had time to make anything for dinner but there's food in the freezer than could be used."

"Cool I'll eat whatever."

"George what time's Jack coming over?" Jack? Who was this?

"2."

"Is he staying for dinner?"

"I reckon so hon." He responded.

"Who's Jack?" I whispered to my Mom.

"He works with your Dad. They're watching the game today."

"Oh okay cool, so, Dad wont need me to help him or anything?"

"Well you're only going to the interview and back home right?" I wasn't.

"Yeah Mom, I'll be home as soon as I'm finished. They wont tell me for a few days wether I got it or not."

"Great. Well I better go" She kissed my head. She kissed my Dads. "See you tonight guys!" And she left. I looked out the kitchen window. The weather was clammy today in Forks. I know I have my interview today but I just can't sit still. With no job yet to keep my mind busy somehow I know I have to do more than just got to the interview. The woods are calling my name. I want to head back out there. I turn to look at my Dad. He was looking at me.

"So. . . Dad. . . Jack. The big game. You uh…"

"Don't worry about it. I know you'll be careful. I wont rat you out. But if anything happens to you Charlotte I'm gonna be in a huge mess."

"Thanks Dad. I just need to get out."

"You better run then, don't be late to your interview, please be home before 5."

"I will."

"And Char? Be careful. Please." I grabbed my backpack and compass. I threw together a quick sandwich and some water in a canister.

"I promise." And I left.

My sneakers were starting to get damp. I could feel the slushy wet moss and earth under my feet. I didn't have my waterproofs with me, seeing as this was an impromptu trip and I didn't have a lot of time. I'd done okay in the interview I thought. If I didn't get it I had other interviews lined up over the next few days. The woods were the only thing my mind could focus on right now.

I notice after 40 minutes of trekking that I've gone further into the woods than last time. But I wrote down markings to find my way back.

I had this dream last night about a meadow. It was filled with the most beautiful white, purple and blue flowers ever. It was the most perfect place. The whole meadow protected by glorious trees.

I saw two people sitting in the centre of the meadow. In the dream it looked like the people I'd seen in the photographs in Bella's box. The were so in love, they kissed with such passion and fire. The pair of them so magnificent to look at.

I feel like I've been haunted by these two beautiful people I've never even seen before, not in real life anyway. But I could tell one thing from the blurriness of the dream, that they belonged together.

I had Muse playing on my Spotify playlist to get me through the woods. I loved listening to their music, it spoke to me. I texted my Dad with a thumbs up to let him know I was alive, he responded with a football emoji. The game would have started by now.

Suddenly. Oh my gosh. It couldn't be. I took a step forward. Closer. I pulled a branch out of my way and saw it. The Meadow.

"It's. . . real?" I whispered under my breath. I gasped. I was standing on the edge of the place I'd only dreamed of. The meadow was here, and it was every bit more vibrant in real life. And real. I'd dreamed of this place several times since moving to Forks. It felt more like memories than dreams though. Like I'd actually stoop on this patch of land, feeling the flowers brush against my calves and knees.

I stood in the centre of the meadow and smiled. A huge smile painted itself across my face. I kneeled down to touch the new earth I'd found. It was dry. I plopped myself down and felt for any rain to seep through my pants. Nothing. It was like a desert. I put my bag beside me and put my earphones in. "In My Place" By Coldplay came on my shuffle and it was the percent song to play for this moment. I was in my place. I had found a sanctuary. I looked up at the sky and fell onto my back slowly, becoming one with the ground. I closed my eyes and let the music, the smells, the feel of the planet keep me here. In this moment I was completely present. There was no yesterday, no tomorrow, no now. I drifted off into a peaceful sleep. The grass was soft and the earth smelled of springtime.

A drop of water landed on my left cheek, it fell out of the sky. I didn't stir. I let the rain pour gently over my body. The cold drop on my cheek slid down my face and landed on my hair. I eventually opened my eyes and the cloudless blue sky was now the grey it aways was. I looked at my watch. I had an hour to get home, so I remained still.

I heard a low growling sound. It came from the trees at the edge of the meadow. I sat up fast. I heard the rustling of the trees and the ground of the forest being stepped on. The growling noise became more intense. More deliberate. I stood, clutching my bag to my chest. There was something in there. Or someone. It was darker in the thrush of green now, I couldn't make out if it was a person or an animal. I was lucky the sound wasn't coming from the path I had taken to get here. So I wasn't being blocked form escaping. I took small steps backwards, never looking away from the sound. Through the peaceful forest, a cougar emerged. It was huge. It didn't see me yet. It was just lurking. Hunting. Was I about to become its prey? There was no way I'd be able to outrun the beast. When I reached my hand back from me to feel the tree's, I was relived when I felt the sting from a tree branch hit my palm. The sound created enough of an alarm for the cougar. He turned his head and looked into my eyes. The sound coming from his mouth ready to hunt me was inevitable. I turned as quick as a flash and began to run. I didn't look back from me, even when I heard the cougar gaining on my tail.

"Argh!" I cried out. I turned back once, and the cougar was gone. I snapped my head back forward and crashed into something. SOMEONE. Before I could fall back crashing down to the earth, the person wrapped their arms around me and held me in a wooing position.

"Woah!" A deep voice said. I opened my eyes and saw the face of a boy. Probably 18 or 19 years old. But he was built like a tree. Tall. Strong.

"Wow." I sighed out loud. I cleared my throat in embarrassment. He smiled.

"Sorry." He said. The boy let go of me and I dusted myself down. I remembered what I was running away from and I stood behind the tall boy. "Whats wrong?" He asked.

"There's a cougar out there! He was chasing me! We should go." I grabbed his arm but… he was…frozen. Cold. And hard like stone. "Huh?" I breathed

"There's nothing out there'." He said casually.

"No there is! I saw it." I remained hidden behind him. He stepped forward and breathed in. Inhaling the air. What the hell was he doing?

"Nah, whatever it was, it's dead now."

"How do you know?"I asked. He turned to look at me.

"I just do." He smiled. "You shouldn't be this far away from town."

"I know. I wandered off a little too far I think." I answered. The brief moment of silence that followed was broken by more rustling, this time coming from the boys right.

"You better get out of here." He said in a childlike manner. I didn't say anything. I just turned and jogged back towards the path that I knew. "This one's mine." He said quietly. I stopped and turned. But he was gone. He was gone. Nowhere to be seen. It was like he was never there at all. All sound fell silent. There was nothing but my breathing now.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - It's You. You?

I came home at 5:30. Dad was still in his chair and Jack on the couch next to him. The after-game interviews were on the screen. I put my bag on the kitchen table.

"Char is that you?" Dad's voice called.

"Yeah Dad. You need anything?" Please say no, please say no, please say no.

"Nope. Just wondered if it was you kid!"

"Okay great, uh, I'm gonna go for a shower." He didn't respond, neither did his friend Jack. I took a glass of water up with me and I went into my room and closed the door. I felt like I hadn't breathed since I left the woods. And that boy. Was he hunting the cougar? Was the cougar even real? Was I half asleep when I woke up? This boy was cold, and hard like stone. JUST like Dr Cullen. He had the same golden hue in his eyes too, except his were a darker shade of gold. Almost black. Something weird was going on in this town. It was all too much. First my Dad's attack, and then these two separate men who had the same qualities. Physically. But then there was also my meadow. I'd only ever dreamed of the place, and then I stumbled upon it. It was real. It existed.

I took off my clothes and grabbed a clean towel from the wardrobe. I stepped into the shower and turned the water to hot. I stood under the water for maybe 10 minutes, just letting the water wash the earth and the experience away. I started washing myself properly after I'd come to a conclusion. Maybe there are just some things in this world you can't explain.

When Mom came home later that night, I'd gotten a call that I got the job at the movie theatre and I started next week.

"Oh honey that's great! I'm so happy for you! We should celebrate, properly this weekend. Oh. That reminds me." She put her art bag down on the floor and walked to me and Dad in the living room. "George, it came."

"Oh already? That was fast." Confusion entered my mind.

"What is it?" I asked with curiosity. Dad got up and stood next to Mom, she helped him lean on the unit with the purple lamp on it.

"This is for you, because you've been so great at moving your entire life here for me and your Dad. You're doing really well in school, you've been so helpful to your Dad these past few days and you're just a really amazing kid. So here." She took out of her pocket a small black box. I reached out my hand and flipped the lid. Inside the box lived a beautiful moonstone ring. The stone was flat, with a slight curve to its surface. It was encrusted in a silver oval shaped setting. The band split in two on either side of the stone. It was stunning.

"Oh my god it's so beautiful. You didn't have to do this, this must have cost so much money."

"Don't worry about that! Come on let's see if it fits." I took the ring out of the box and slid it onto the ring finger on my right hand. It was perfect. It was part of me now. It belonged to my heart. It was a symbol of our new life here in Forks, and the health and happiness of the three of us.

"Thank you so much." I trailed off in disbelief.

"You're welcome." Dad said.

"Now tomorrow night, anybody got plans?" Mom asked. "If you do, cancel them. Tomorrow night we're going over to Dr Cullens house to visit with him and his family."

"We are?" Dad chirped taking his seat again.

"Yes. I ran into his wife Esme at the store. And can I just say, she is THE most beautiful woman I've ever seen in real life before, and she knew all about us. And your Dad's accident, and she knows Chief Swan and she wanted to welcome us into town."

"Well that sounds nice." Dad said. I stood up and grabbed a glass of water.

"Yeah, that sounds great. It would be nice to get out and visit them." I answered.

"Perfect! Well we've to be there for 6 o' clock. Look out some nice clothes to wear, front what I've imagined in my head, they live in a really nice house. Charlotte tomorrow we'll go out and buy some nice flowers for Esme."

"Okay." I smiled. I headed back upstairs and shut the door of my room. I was exhausted. My legs ached from the hike, and the pain was already starting to come. I shut off the lights and lay in bed. I could already feel myself not being able to sleep at all. This happened rarely but when it did I always felt horrible the next day. So I got up, grabbed a bottle of NyQuil from my medicine box and took a capful. I went back to bed and surely enough, the drugs worked quick and I fell asleep.

When we pulled into the road that led to the Cullens estate, the trees seemed to mask us. Make us more invisible. They were taller too. The Cullens lived about 20 minutes outside of town, I think. I didn't count. It was just nice to be in a different part of Forks. I was dressed in an embroidered blouse, my black denims and black Doc Marten shoes. Smart but comfy I thought. My beautiful moonstone ring tying it altogether. The only light ahead of us was a sure sign of the Cullens mansion. I was shocked. It was beautiful. Very modern. Big tall glass windows and lights on the steps leading up to the front door. The gravel path, the tree's and moss surrounding the estate.

"Wow." We all said in a weird pattern.

"This can't be right." Dad said. "Looks like a house from a movie or something. I was NOT expecting this."

"George honey, try and act like you have alright? Don't want them thinking we're weird." Mom got out and walked round the car to help Dad. I got out and grabbed the flowers and box of chocolates we got. The three of us headed up the stairs and stood outside the glass door. You could see everything inside. The furniture, the staircase, the artwork. It was all very grand. Suddenly a pair of legs appeared coming down from the top of the stairs. It was Dr Cullen. I felt myself stand a little straighter.

He was smiling as he headed to the front door.

"Hello George, Clair." He beamed.

"Hello Dr Cullen, thank you for inviting us over. Your house is amazing."

"Please call me Carlisle, Dr Cullen makes me feel like I'm at work." We all chuckled. He peered around my parents to look at me. "Hello Charlotte. So nice of you to be here too, I hope we didn't interrupt any plans you might have had."

"You didn't Carlisle." I smiled.

"Please come in." He stood aside and we walked into the house. He guided us into a room where you had to walk down a staircase to get to it. The room was lit with candles, and soft music playing. Downstairs in the kitchen was a very beautiful lady. She was wearing a blush pink dress that hugged her beautifully. Her hair golden and curly. She was tiny. Petite. I assumed this was Dr Cullens wife. She strode towards my Mom.

"Clair!" She exclaimed pulling her into her for a hug.

"Esme! How lovely to see you. Your home is…well it's just stunning."

"Thank you." Mom turned and reached out her hand to my Dad.

"This is my husband George." Esme shook his hand.

"So good to meet you George, how's your arm? Carlisle told me all about your unfortunate accident in the woods."

"I'm much better thank you. Your husband did a great job. And I know I wouldn't be getting by as well without these two wonderful ladies in my life." Esme peaked her head around my Dad and smiled at me.

"Charlotte." She said smiling. "Charlotte of course this is your daughter look at that face. You're beautiful." I loved this woman. What on earth? It was as if she'd been spat out of a Disney movie.

"Oh gosh thank you but I'm not. I mean I'm not beautiful, I AM their daughter though. I'm just. . .uh nervous. Sorry." She and Carlisle laughed. She reached out her hands and took mine in hers.

"Nonsense there's no need to be nervous. Come through to the parlour, let's get you something to drink. What can I get you?" Carlisle and Dad went for a tour of the house, while Mom, Esme and I went to the Parlour.

"I'm good with anything thank you."

"Well we have some soda, orange juice, club soda and water."

"A club soda would be great thank you." She scurried to the mini fridge and grabbed me a can.

"Clair what can I get for you? Same options but I do have some wine if you'd like that?"

"Wine would be great if Charlotte doesn't mind driving home?" I shook my head.

"Go for it Mom." Esme poured her a glass of pink coloured wine and set our glasses down in front of us.

"Thank you." We both said. Esme took a seat on the couch opposite us.

"Esme won't you have something?" Mom asked after taking a sip.

"I got the times mixed up, I've already had a glass of wine. I thought you were coming over a little earlier and I got excited. Maybe in a little while, thought I'd let you catch up." She smiled. At that moment Dad and Carlisle came back in the room.

"Darling, be sure to give Charlotte and Clair a tour before they leave." He walked over to his wife.

"I will sweetheart." He kissed her hand and sat down next to her.

"This house is amazing Carlisle." Dad said sipping on a beer.

"Thank you George."

"Where are the kids?" Dad asked.

"Some of them are away on a hiking trip this weekend, kind of a family tradition. We like to get up to the mountains whenever we can. But my other children Rosalie and Emmett will be home soon."

Gosh. Rosalie and Emmett? Even their names were old fashioned. I did a quick surveillance of the spacious room to see if I could spot any photographs of the 'kids.' I couldn't see any. Just lots of artwork.

For the next half an hour my parents told Esme and Carlisle pretty much everything about us. About our life, moving here, Dads job, my school. The both of them truly looking fascinated at their stories, which to me had grown boring over the years.

"So Charlotte how are you liking school? What's your major?"

"English, I wanna be a writer."

"That's great, I take it you're creative"

"Very. I love to write, and I'd love to travel for my work and see the world. Retire with a big ole' house in the countryside sitting on a big ole' pile of money." Esme and Carlisle were entertained. Mom shoved her elbow into my abdomen.

"Oh my that's wonderful! It's so great you've got your life all mapped out sweetheart."

"Do you have an extensive book collection I gather?" Carlisle asked with a smile.

"Oh God yes, most of my boxes were just filled with books. I had to leave some behind and I've donated a few here in town, but I want to read everything. As much as I can get my hands on."

"Well I've got some first editions in my study gathering dust. I'd love to part them with someone I know would get great use out of them. You interested?" Carlisle said.

"Are you kidding?" My voice climbed. I leaned forward on the couch. "Thank you! That would be incredible."

"I'll make sure to get them before you go." He smiled. I felt warm inside. This was a nice family, and these were two of the nicest people I'd ever been in the company of. At that moment the front door opened and two separate sets of footsteps walked their way into the house.

"Ah that must be Rose and Em." Esme said. At that point we all stood up to greet both of them walked hand in hand into the open space. She a tall beautiful blonde. And he was tall too, broad with dark hair and muscular.

"Emmett, Rosalie. This is George and Clair Snow. And this is their daughter Charlotte." Carlisle exchanged the greeting's between us. It only took me a fragment of a second.

"Oh my god." I whispered so only I could hear myself. It was him. It was HIM! That stranger in the woods that day. That boy, the one who saved me from the cougar. The one who was there one minute and gone the next. The one I thought I imagined. And in my head, he was weird. Maybe even dangerous. I felt frightened now.

"Charlotte say hello." My Dad said treating me like I was 5.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Emmett said reaching out taking my hand. He gave me this look. And I know that look. It said 'I know what you saw that day, but don't say anything. We'll talk about it another time.' I felt his grip tighten around my hand.

"You too." I said with caution. He smiled now, that look of recognition gone.

"I'm Rosalie." The blonde beauty said. I was too distracted now. I honestly thought I'd dreamed that day. Well, that moment anyways. It didn't seem real.

"So Rosalie and Emmett are your adopted children too?" Mom asked when we all took seats again. I couldn't keep my eyes off Emmett.

"Yes, all of our children are adopted. We're very blessed with them." Esme said with a smile, but then she looked a little bit sad. I had heard from my Dad that the Cullens could never have children, not their own anyways. But I always admired the fact that they adopted, it seemed a natural way to go. Anyone who wanted to be a parent, a REAL parent would find a way, wether it was adoption or fostering. The only thing I could really question was how utterly similar they all seemed. All of them had that white as snow translucent skin, golden or dark almost black eyes, and beauty. Not even a pimple on their skin.

"So the others are hiking?" I flagged up. Changing the conversation. They were talking about other things but I wasn't focused on that. I wanted more information. I turned my body towards Emmett.

"Yeah, hiking." He answered. Lie.

"Where?" I questioned further.

"Maple Loop Pass." Maybe true.

"Do you ALL hike?"

"Yeah, but not here. Not in Forks." Lie

"When was the last time you went hiking?"

"About 3 months ago." Lie!

"Jeez Charlotte, what is this an interrogation? I feel like I'm at work." Dad said. The others laughed quietly, and I dropped the questions taking another sip of my club soda. There was something very funny about all of this.

We stayed at the house for another hour before my parents realised the time and decided it was time for us to go home. Carlisle headed out the room first and was back in a flash. In his hands he held about 6 books. All varied in size. Very old looking, and probably cost around 6 digits altogether.

"Here you are Charlotte. I hope you'll treasure these. I've had them for a very long time." He slipped the books into my arms. They were heavy.

"Thank you so much Carlisle." He put his arm around Esme.

"Well thank you so much for having us." Dad said as we headed for the front door.

"Anytime, you're more than welcome. Hopefully next time more of the kids will be here, it can be a proper party." Esme said with a smile. She hugged each of us before we headed for the car.

"Drive safe." Rosalie said after us. I put the books in the trunk of the car and got into the drivers seat. I didn't even look back at the house. I just wanted to get home. I sped down the pathway and headed for the route home.

"Well that was just wonderful, what a handsome family." Mom said. Mom was bewitched. She couldn't believe that she met a family like that, in her words. She was in awe of their beauty, their home, their manners. I put my foot down and sped off.

"Charlotte slow down!" Mom said. Then she went back to praising the Cullens. I tuned her out.

When we got home I went straight upstairs. Mom and Dad were both now on the Cullen high. I fell onto my bed and started crying in frustration. What the hell was happening to me? Was I going crazy? Trying to make up a story that wasn't real? Was I THAT bored already? I had plenty to do. I reminded myself of a few tests I had coming up at school. I was starting work next week, and I wanted to get through the books Carlisle had given me. I got up and changed into my sweats. I opened my window to let in the night air. I gazed up at the stars, they were so clear in Forks. Clearer than anywhere else I've ever seen before. The North Star was looking back down at me. And I wondered, what I should do next. I had been born with a curious nature.

"Tomorrow." I stated to myself as I lay in bed. "I'm going to The Cullens house. I need to have some answers. Even if I have to break a few laws to get them."


	8. Chapter 8

The following morning I woke up earlier than usual. That was partly because of the lack of sleep I'd gotten, and the fact that I really didn't sleep at all.

The night before, when we were at the Cullens, Carlisle and Esme told my parents how they were leaving in the morning for a hiking trip, taking Rosalie and Emmett along with them. The house would be empty. Their other kids were meeting them on their trip and then they would all be coming home together in a few days time. I got out of bed and got into the shower going over the plan in my head a few times. When I looked at myself in the mirror after I got out I saw two things.

Dark circles. And determination.

I combed out my hair, got dressed and went downstairs, dressing in green and brown clothing to camouflage myself if I needed to hide.

"Mom?" I called. I looked outside and the cars were gone. My orange truck remained in the same place. "Dad?" I said out loud. Nothing.

Walking into the living room I checked my phone for the first time that day and saw the messages from my Mom.

"Dad and I have to go to Seattle today, last minute, you were asleep otherwise we'd take you with us. There's an art market there today and if I don't get new materials for my classes I'll never progress!" I sighed in relief that they were alright at least. I continued reading. "We should be home around midnight, stay out of trouble, don't go to the woods, there's food in the fridge for dinner. Have a great day. I love you. Mom." I put my phone in my pocket and dashed out the door. I was glad they were gone, no need for lies or explanations. It was wet outside, and the earth smelled of smoke and rain. The rain last night had gone and the sun was just coming through the clouds. I got into the truck and the engine roared to life, the sound putting me at ease. I sped off up the dirt path to the main road. Heading for the Cullens house.

I was standing outside the mansion. Thinking how stupid this was. The type of people they were, they probably had cctv or some sort of high tech security system to protect their very open home. I'd done a search around the perimeter of the property and found nothing. I pulled myself together and repeated to myself my reason for coming here.

"I need to know why Emmett was lying about the woods. How he vanished so fast. How each member of this family I had physically seen looked impossibly beautiful with skin of ice and stone." I shuddered but kept talking to myself. "Pale skin, changing eye colours, old fashioned names. The kids were meant to be ADOPTED, yet they all shared the same qualities as one another." I walked up the stone steps to the front door, barely able to breathe. The pitter patter of light rain was all I could hear. I turned and did another check, nobody around for miles. I kneeled down and looked under the many plant pots, and sure enough, I found a key. Holding it felt like holding a boulder. Impossible and heavy. I was the daughter of a cop, and here I was breaking so many laws I'd lost count. I put the key in the door and before I knew it, I was breaking and entering.

Crap.

I wiped my feet on the thick doormat, tearing it up as I tried to rid myself of dirt and wet moss. I worked quickly. I don't know what I was looking for but it was clear to me I wasn't wrong. Something in my gut told me I was doing right by myself mentally.

As I searched the house, there was nothing completely out of the ordinary. Lots of fine art, expensive furniture, music and books on almost every shelf. I ran upstairs and looked in the bedrooms. All of them are different, modified and fitting for each family member. Some of the rooms didn't have any beds in them.

The last room I found myself in had a huge bed in it. A four poster, gold bedding, books all over the floor, the shelves behind it were filled with music and more books. The wall across the room was a glass door that opened with no balcony. Just to the forest.

"This is the last room Charlotte. You got that? This is crazy and you know it." I said out loud again. I had to give up. There was nothing here. Nothing creepy or unusual, except now I knew these guys were richer than Midas. I turned on my feet and began to walk out the door when I saw it. A picture of two people I had seen before. The brown eyed girl with the curls in her hair, and the pale boy with golden eyes. It was the same couple in the wedding photos in my attic. I took the photo in my hands, the frame weighing a ton, encrusted with auburn gems.

"Oh my god." I shook.

"What are you doing in here?" A song like voice said. I turned scared and dropped the photo to the ground. But before it touched and shattered, it was back on the table where I had found it. I closed my eyes. "I said, WHAT are you doing in our room?" I opened my eyes slowly, and I saw her. The girl in the photographs. The girl who's name was on the box in my house.

"Bella?" I whispered.

"Who are you?" The girl asked. The girl, who by nature, should be older than 25, or at least look it.

"You're that girl in the pictures." I managed to get out of my now frozen figure. My finger pointing at her. She glowered at me. "You're that girl in the…and you're…you used to, in my house…" I couldn't out a sentence together. She cut my off.

"How did you get in here?" She asked. I wanted to cry. But then the boy who stood by her side answered for me.

"She used the key under the plant pot outside."

"I was just leaving. I didn't take anything I swear. I was here last night and I…I'm so sorry." But Bella's face shifted. She wasn't cold looking anymore, a small smile came about her lips. She was by my side now, her hands on my shoulders.

"Slow down. You're okay. You're not in any trouble. Come into the living room." She pulled me from the room down the stairs into a different room, one I hadn't been in before. She sat me on the couch and took a seat beside me a few metres away. There was just silence. The boy stood across from us both. Bella finally spoke up.

"Edward could you grab her a soda from Jacobs' stash in the fridge?" He smiled at her, then walked into the open kitchen and grabbed the fridge door. He returned with a can of Cherry Coke and put it on a coaster in front of me.

"Here you go." He smiled. I didn't touch it. I just stared. I was mortified.

"Please don't hurt me." I whispered. She and Edward chuckled lightly.

"We won't hurt you." She said. I couldn't look at them. The two people I'd been fascinated with for weeks were real people. Standing right here in front of me. Time stood still for both of them, they hadn't aged. A day. My guessing was that none of the family were human. It wasn't possible. At that moment I felt happy I was into sci-fi, I tried convincing myself I was in a movie to calm myself down.

"Thank you." I managed to say. I grabbed the Coke and took a sip. It was cold and icy, my fingers fusing to the can. I put it back down. "Look. I don't want any trouble. My Dad's a cop for crying out loud, I should know better than to break and enter into your home. If there is some weird thing going on with you and your family, I won't say anything. I just needed some answers to a lot of questions I had." The both of them stared motionless at me. "I just want to go home. Please can I leave? I'm sorry." Bella looked at Edward.

"She's telling the truth love. She won't say anything. She just wants her Mother." What the hell? Did he just read my mind? Bella got up and moved to be with him.

"Give us a sec." She said. They walked around a corner. Their voices were low hushed whispers, but I could still hear them. I heard words coming up like 'Emmett' and 'secret' and 'history repeating itself.' I followed and hid behind the wall that separated us.

". . . if anything that gives us reason to trust her more." Bella said. "She's already in too deep. She saw Emmett hunting in the woods, although he SHOULD have been much further away." I KNEW it! All the time I thought I was crazy. I listened closer.

"Alice said a stranger would come to us. That she'd be scared at first but then she would understand. She'd become a friend. She'd trust us. That for some reason, we'd have to protect her. I'm gonna go on a whim here and say…that is her." I looked around the corner now. The both of them looked adoringly at one another. Their eyes never moving from the other face. She reached out and held his hand.

"So what do we do? Do we tell her?"

"Not right away." Edward warned. "Alice said we had to wait, to let her decide. Things COULD change." I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Um…HELLO?!" I yelled. They snapped their heads and looked at me."What the hell are you guys talking about?"

"Charlotte just let us explain…" Suddenly a sound came from the front door.

I stood rigid and afraid. It was probably Carlisle. I anticipated a scolding and a call to my parents. This was such a mess. Edward spoke.

"That's just my sister. Alice." He said with a smile. Then from around the corner, a small pixie looking girl with cropped short hair and golden eyes walked into the living room. Well, skipped into the living room.

"Hi Charlotte." She beamed. She took my hands and gave me a hug. Again, her body like the others was cold and made of stone. She released me and I moved away from the group.

"Jasper, come and meet our new friend." Alice said as she moved gracefully beside the one called Jasper. A golden curly hair guy who was very militant looking.

"Ah yes. How do you do?" His southern accent made my knees weak. I had a thing for the southern voice. It was like butter. I snapped out of my trance and felt more relaxed. My breathing had evened itself out a little. All of them shared the golden eyes.

"Okay, this has been great. But I gotta go."

"Perhaps we should talk a little more Charlotte?"

"No. I AM GOING HOME." The words came out so fierce, but I was afraid now. I knew there was something…I don't know…'unholy' going on here. I'd never been one for religion, but these people were involved in some kind of weird cult. Maybe they'd sold their souls to the devil for eternal beauty. Something against nature. "I'm sorry I broke into your house, I can see now that was a mistake. I'll have to leave knowing you guys ARE some kind of freaks, but enough is enough!" I shoved past them through the living room, past Alice and Jasper. "I'll leave your box on my porch Bella, come and get it by tomorrow or I'll just toss it out." I was finally out the front door. Bella's voice was the next one I heard outside the chaos in my mind.

"Charlotte wait! Come back!" No way lady.

I drove for about 2 minutes, nobody was seeming to follow me. I was lost, I didn't recognise where I was, or if I was headed in the right direction. I couldn't hold the wheel without shaking but. So I decided to stop and pull into the side were the REAL hikers disembarked. I shut off the engine and the rain began to fall. Thunderous and treacherous rain spitting onto the car, creating those sounds I could fall asleep too. Leaves fell onto the cars windshield, yellowy and green. It was May. But the winds were so strong a few loose leaves died and fell onto my truck. I wanted to die with them. I was mortified. I put my hands on the steering wheel and began to weep. Resting my head on my hands. The sobs were uncomfortable, hard to get out. Tears burning my skin, my eyes starting to feel swollen. It was the knock on the glass window that startled me.

"Argh!"

"Charlotte. Please don't run." It was Edward. I reached for the keys but they weren't in the ignition.

"What did you do?" I asked. "Did you take my keys?"

""Yes. And I WILL give them back to you, but you have to listen to me." I moved across the seat to the other side and opened the truck door and fell out. The ground was wet and my jeans were covered in dirt. I started running again.

"Please leave me alone!" I cried. I turned to look behind me, the truck was still there but getting smaller. Edward was gone. I turned swiftly towards the direction I was running in and there he was standing in front of me. But before I could stop myself, I threw my arms out.

Imagine running into a brick wall, as fast as your legs can physically carry you. Your arms out straight like arrows flying from the bow. You know fine well that you'll end up with broken bones. Your arms would shatter into a million pieces, you might hit your head, crack your skull. That's what it felt like. What was happening to me. I was breaking into a million pieces.

"ARGH!" I cried. I was on the ground now. The floor was wet beneath me. Edward looked terrified. He was next to me, holding my shoulders down. My free hand clamped tight around my left arm.

"Charlotte. I'm so sorry." His hands were strong on my body. Holding me down so I couldn't move. But it didn't feel like he was crushing me. More like trying to keep me from hurting myself more. I had ran right into him, my left arm slammed into his chest. I fell back and landed on my hand.

"Edward." A calm familiar voice spoke. A gentle voice. Carlisle? What was he doing here? I opened my eyes and saw his blonde hair. The pain in my arm was nothing I'd felt before. It hurt like a bitch.

"Carlisle . . ?" I managed to say. He touched my arm which stung. "Ow!" I squealed.

"Shh." He soothed. "She's broken her wrist, and shattered a bone in her forearm." He sighed. "You're going to be alright." He soothed again.

"We need to get her back to the house, there are people nearby." Edward said. He scooped me up into his arms.

"No!" I choked. "Take me to the hospital!" People would be there. Normal people who would protect me. I tried to push him away with my good wrist but it was useless. It was like pushing a wall again.

"My office at the house is closer and much more sanitary. Trust me." Carlisle said ignoring my wishes. I thrusted in Edwards arms again fighting with what little I had.

"Let me go!" I pushed again, but I forgot myself and used the broken arm. "Ow ow ow…" I started to cry again. "Carlisle please help me!" His cool hand touched my forehead.

"I will. You'll be better soon I promise." I turned my head towards where we were headed. I saw the blurry shape of the others. They were all standing at the truck. They were watching us. My body went limp, eyes rolled back into my head and I blacked out.

I regained consciousness in Carlisles' office. I tried to relax because I didn't want to get more upset. I was lying on a hospital bed, my shoes were off, I was still in the damp jeans and my head felt light. I looked to the left and saw Carlisle wrapping my hand in a cream coloured bandage.

"Hello." He said without looking my way.

"What are you doing?"

"I've repositioned the bone, you were asleep and I didn't need to use a local anaesthetic. I gave you some morphine for the pain. You'll feel brighter in an hour or so." I looked around the room. No one was here except for us. I felt safer when it was just me and Carlisle. He was the only one I knew. But even now I questioned everything about him. "I don't have any plaster here to put a cast on it, I'll drive you to the hospital to do it there." He got up and started tidying away the items he used on me.

"Aren't you mad at me?" I asked. He turned around.

"No. I'm not mad,"

"I BROKE into your house. I invaded your privacy, you can't be that cool with it."

"I am not mad at you Charlotte. I only wish you'd…handled things a little differently. Actions have consequences and from what's happened, you got the bad end of the stick." I sat up now looking at the work he had done. He gave me his hand and helped me up.

"Can we go to the hospital now?" I asked.

"Yes." He opened the door and let me walk through first. Gasp. The whole family was here in the room. Sitting on various chairs and couches looking at me.

"It's alright Charlotte." Alice said. She came towards me putting her arms around me and tasing me a glass of water. I sipped it with my free hand.

"Are you feeling any better?" Edward asked. Bella and Esme were by his side.

"In ways. I'll feel better when I leave." I just wanted to go home.

"She'll feel better tomorrow once she's rested I'm sure. And slept in her own bed." Edward said as I walked past him towards the front door.

"Easy for you to say! You're not the one with a broken wrist!" I hissed. I turned to look at him. Edward and Carlisle were exchanging a look. Alice tilted her head and let me go. She took by the others now and I was all alone. "What?" I asked.

"What did you say?" Alice asked. I was confused.

"What do you mean? I answered Edwards' comment." They all looked around at one another before Bella stood and looked at me.

"Edward didn't say anything…" I felt ill. Bella walked closer to me now. Looked into my eyes. "Did you just READ his mind?"


End file.
